Film spreader



Feb. 14, 1950 J.. J. BRADLEY, JR

FILM SPREADER Filed Sept. 22, 1948 l INVENTOR.

JOHN 1./ BRAPLEZ JR.

. ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 14, 1950 FILM sPRsAnEn John J. Bradley, Jr.,Winchester, Mass., assigner to Boston Varnish Campani', Everett, Mass, a

corporation of Massachusetts Application September 22, 1948, Serial No.50,519

1 Claim.

My invention relates to fllm spreaders and in particular to a spreaderwith which ya film may be spread with uniform thickness `over a flatsurface.

An object of this invention is to provide a device for spreading filmsover flat surfaces, such that reliable tests may be made to determinethe relative values of said films.` For instance, in the paint andvarnish industry it is often desirable to ascertain how weatherproof acoat of paint is in relation to another coat. To determine such a factorwith accuracy it is essential that each coat be spread equally anduniformly.

Other objects and advantages of the invention wil-l appear from thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawingin which- Fig. 1 is a perspective View of the film spreader as appliedto a flat surface,

Fig. 2 is a perspective exploded view of the film spreader,

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the film spreader,

Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 3, Vand Fig. 5 is aperspective view showing the manner in which the blade is adjusted.

The spreader comprises -a main body consisting of a rectangular bridgeblock I0 suspended between two rectangular supporting blocks or legs I2,ywhich are secured to the block I0 by means of screws I4 passing throughholes through the sides of the legs into threaded holes in the ends ofthe block I0. Each of the bottom surfaces of the legs lies an equaldistance below the bottom surface of the block I0 and the top surfacesof the legs are substantially ush with the top surface of said block.The forward end surfaces of the legs I2 (in the direction of the arrow,Fig. 1) are substantially flush with the forward side surface of themember l0, and each of their rearward end surfaces lies substantially anequal distance to the rear of the rearward side surface of the block IIn the bridge block Ill are two slots each consisting of a central holeI6, extending through said bloc-k, and lateral slits I'I, one on eitherside of the entrance of said hole in the rearward side of said block.

The blade I8 of the spreader is also a rectangular block and of such asize that its length is equal to the length of the bridge block I0, itsheight apr proximately equal to the height of the legs I2, and its widthsubstantially equal to the distance between t'he rearward-end surface ofthe legs and the rearward-side surface of the block Ill.` Through theblade are two holes 20, the vertical 2 axes of which are longer than thehorizontal axes. The width of the holes 20 is equal to the diameter ofthe holes I6. The holes 20 and I6 are in alignment, ywhen the blade andthe main body of the spreader are assembled.

To secure the blade to the main body of the spreader two bolts 22 arepassed through the holes 2l) and the holes I6. At right angles to theaxis of each bolt near the head thereof is a pin 24 which, as each boltis inserted into each of the holes 2D, is held in a vertical position topass through the vertical axis of said hol-e and then turned at rightangles to be inserted into the slit I'YI. When the bolts have been fullyinserted, and the pins 24 have been placed in the slits I'I, wingnuts2-5 are screwed onto the threaded ends of the bolts 22 -which extendforwardly of the forward side surface of the block Ill.

Before the wing-nuts are tightened to hold the blade in place, a shim 28of a predetermined thickness, corresponding to the desired filmthickness, is inserted over a plate 30 (upon which the spreader reststemporarily for the purpose of adjusting the blade), under the block I 0and the blade I8, and between the legs I2. The blade is then lowereduntil its bottom surface rests flatly and evenly upon the shim. Thewing-nuts 26 are then tightened, and the spreader is lifted off theplate and the shim.

In use, the spreader, with its blade adjusted to a height predeterminedby the shim 28, is placed upon the surface upon which the film is to bespread, such as the flat surface 3|. A supply of material 32a, to bespread :on said surface as a film, is placed on the surface in front ofthe blade. The spreader is then drawn firmly along the surface in thedirection of the arrow, Fig. 1, and the lm is applied in a uniform layer32h equal in thickness to the adjusted height of the blade.

I claim:

A device for spreading films of uniform and predetermined thickness on aat surface, comprising two rectangular supporting blocks, the basalsurfaces of which lie in the same plane, a rectangular bridge blockterminally suspended between the inner side surfaces of said supportingblocks above said plane, means to secure the ends of said bridge blockto the inner surfaces 4of said supporting blocks, a blade blockadjustably secured laterally against a side surface of said bridge blockand engaging terminally against said inner side surfaces of saidsupporting blocks, the bottom surface of said blade block being in aplane betweeny and parallel to the plane of said `basal surfaces of saidsupporting blocks and the 3 bottom surface of said bridge block, andmeans to adjustably secure said blade block to said side surface of saidbridge block comprising holes extending from said side surface throughsaid bridge block, slits on either side of the entrances of said holesin said side surface, vertically elongated openings extending throughs-aid sliding block yand valigned laterally with said holes. boltsextending through said holes and openings, pins at one end of said boltsat right angles to the axes thereof and adapted to pass through thelong' axes of said openings and lie in said slits, and, removablefastening means on the other ends of said bolts.

JOHN J. BRADLEY, JR.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

Bradley Feb. 1'7, 1948

